Suspension mechanism for vehicles



Feb. 25, 1947. w.- R. HENDRIX SUSPENSION MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES- Filed April 20, 1943 /0 INVENTOR.

MLLl/IM 9 IL/ENORJX 'IITTOR/VEY Patented Feb. 25, l947 UNIT ED STATE S PATENT OFFICE susransron MECHANISM FOR Will ams William R. Hendrix, Long Beach, Calif.

Application April 20, 1943, Serial No 483,808

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to vehicles, and more particularly to spring suspension mechanisms therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide a spring suspension mechanism, which, in its association with a vehicle such as an automobile, truck, or other wheeled vehicle, operates to suspend the chassis in such manner as to eliminate longitudinal pitching and lateral motion or sidesway oi the body relative to the wheels, and to automatically stabilize the body against road shocks and surface inequalities variably acting vertically and/or horizontally upon the wheels individually or otherwise, whereby to impart smooth and cushioned riding qualities to the vehicle so that it will afford comfortable transportation for its occupants. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a which embodies simplicity of construction, reduces 'unsprung weight to a minimum, produces a low center of gravity and enables either a knee action or rigid type of axle to be used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring suspension mechanism structurally characterized specifically by a single resilient means such as a relatively strong spring common to all wheels, which spring is so located On the chassis and operatively connected by power transferring means to the wheels of the vehicle, that vertical movement of the wheels will be synchronized or rendered interdependent in such manner that the chassis will be maintained in a substantially level position with all major road. shocks absorbed by the spring, and with minor road shocks absorbed by converting same into torque stresses which react elastically upon the power transferring means.

' mechanism of the above described character With these and other objects in view, the inven- 1 tion resides in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 4

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of suspension mechanism for vehicles embodying this invention, applied to the chassis of an automobile;

Figure 2 is a. vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken' on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the in vention in its illustrated embodiment is shown associated with the chassis C of an automobile to suspend the body of the vehicle from the front and rear wheels W and -W' respectively, it being understood that any suitable power plant, body and essential mechanisms for operation of the vehicle (not shown) can be provided in accordance with a selected design of vehicle.

For the purpose of this invention Wheels W are each mounted for vertical movement on the chassis C by pairs of parallelogrammic links I0 and II, the links I! constituting fore and aft brace members by being constructed of two diverging arms whose joined ends are connected at I2 to the brake housing I3 of the respective front wheel, by ball and socket or universal joints, to permit steering movements of the front wheels to be efiected. The free ends'of these link arms are mounted at I I for pivotal movement about longitudinally alined axes on the cross members I5 and I6 of the chassis C to work beneath the latter.

The links I I constitute actuating members and are connected at one end by ball and socket or universal joints I! to the brake housing I! of the respective wheel, so that the front wheels will be free for steering movements. The other ends of the links I I are rigidly secured to the forward ends of rock' shafts I8 arranged in parallelism at op posite sides of the longitudinal center line of the chassis and journaled in bearings I9 and 20 on the chassis as clearly shown in Figure 1.

Secured to the rear ends of the shafts I3 are arms 2 I, the free ends of which bear upon a cap 22 resting on a resilient element in the form of a relatively strong coil spring 23 constituting a single resilient supporting means common to all wheels. The spring 23 seats in a cup 24 slidably receiving the cap 22 and formed integral with or rigidly secured to an 2! frame member 25 form'- ing a rigid portion of the chassis C, the cup 24 being disposed at the intersection of the arms of the 'member 25 and in intersecting relation to the longitudinal axis of the chassis, as will be clear from Figure 1.

The rear wheels W are mounted by similar power transferring mechanism for vertical moveed at Ila for pivotal movement about longitudl' ment on the chassis C, and composed of pairs of parallelogrammic links Ila and Ila. The links Illa-constitute fore and aft brace members and are constructed of two diverging arms whose joined ends are pivotally connected at I24 to the brake housing I3a of the respective rear wheels W; The free ends of these link arms are mountnally alined axes on the cross members 3| and II of the chassis C to work beneath the latter.

The links Ila constitute actuating members the front and are pivotally connected at one end to the p 1 brake housing l3a at a point vertically above the connection Ila as indicated at I'Ia in Figure 3; The other ends of the links I in are rigidly se- 1 cured to the rear ends of rock shafts l8a alined I 1 with the shafts l8 and journaled in bearings l9a and 20a on the chassis C as shown in Figure 1.

Secured to the forward ends of the shafts |8a are arms Ila, the free ends of which bear upon 1 the cap 22, it being noted that all four arms 18, 1 l8, 18a and Ma engage'the cap 22 as close as 1 practicable to the center of the latter so as to T function in a manner to be described in the opl eratlon of the inventionwhich is as follows:

In a vehicle equipped with the invention, and

with the spring 23loaded to a predetermined extent, it will exert a downwardly yielding force upon all wheels W and W to resiliently suspend the body ofthe vehicle from the wheels.

y major road shock to which a wheel is subjected will react upon the spring 23 to increase the loading of the spring in the case of the wheel striking a bump, or to decrease the spring loading a in the event of the spring striking a rut, thus permitting the spring in one case or the other I to accordingly lower or raise the .body uniformly at all wheels so as to maintain a level condition of the body.

Likewise, in negotiating a curve, the body of the vehicle tends to tilt outwardly of the curvev under the action of centrifugal force, thus forcing the outside wheels upwardly relative to the body. As this action compresses the spring 23, the inside wheels also move upwardly relative to the body so as to automatically compensate for the tilting tendency and maintain a level condition of the body. A similar action results from ;any end to end tilting of the body so that the latter is maintained level under any and all'conditions. v

The shafts l8 and [8a have sufficient elasticity to absorb minor road shocks, by becoming torsionally stressed in response to relatively small turning moments imposed thereon from small road surface inequalities to which the wheels are subjected, thus insuring smooth comfortable ridiing qualities as well as freeing the vehicle of all undesirable pitching and sidesway.

It will be noted that the location of the spring 23 may be shifted forwardly or rearwardly of a icentral location on the chassis, to increase or decrease the lengths of the shafts l8 or. [8a and thusvary the relative torsional elasticity thereof 4 in response to or rear wheels.

I claim: I 1. In a wheeled vehicle, a spring seat on the vehicle body; a compression coil spring mounted on said seat; a cap on'said spring; shafts one for each wheel, journaledlon the body; arms fixed to said shafts and bearing on the cap, to co-act in loading said spring in response to rotational movementvof the shafts in one direction; and

parallelogrammic' pairs of links for each wheel,

mounting same for movement vertically relative to the body; one link of each pair being fixed to v the respective one of said shafts for co-action fixed to the respective one of said shafts for 00- "in transmitting vertical movement of the respective wheel to said spring.

2. In a wheeled vehicle, a spring seat on the vehicle body; a compression coil spring mounted on said seat; a cap on' said spring; shafts, one for each wheel, journaled on the body; arms fixed to said shafts and bearing on the cap, to.

co-act in loading said spring in response torotational movement of the shafts in one direction; and parallelogrammic pairs of links for each wheel, mounting same for movement vertically relative to the body; one link of each pair being action in transmitting vertical movement of the respective wheel to said spring; said arms and said ones of the links being fixed to the respective shafts at relatively remote locations along the lengths of the shafts so as to utilize torsional elasticity of the shafts in absorbing road shocks.

WILLIAM R. HENDRIX.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,481 French Sept. 26, 1936 road shocks imposed on the front" 

